1.22.2010

Thinking containment

Every so often I write about being stuck on something. I find the more pots I make the more I think I'm stuck on certain vessel forms. Here's one......lidded jars. Just when I think I come up with something really neat, I make a few, they sit on my sales shelf for awhile I think "well, maybe I don't have it". And I go back to the drawing board. I did have one lidded form that made several times over and over again for people that seemed to sell well but I didn't feel like it fit with the rest of my forms so I've stopped making them.

Getting stuck is a good thing. It forces me to scan all sorts of books and websites for some inspiration. I always start out this way and then either just start throwing some forms or make a few drawings. This form above is just a sort of "study". I'm going to play with cutting it, altering it perhaps in some way and see where it leads me.

I do always tend to look at turn of the century glass work for my idea's. I found a great site with all sort of blue glass covered jars. Below are just a few that caught my eye.



I love the old fashion covered boxes that housed, I believe, powder on a ladies dressing table. My grandmother use to have a few of these when I was a child and off course I loved that big, pink powder puff that would sit inside. Some of these forms are also candy dishes I believe. My grandmother also had several of these around the house. Funny how so much of what you are drawn to or create comes from some tiny little memory in the back of our brains somewhere. I love that about the creative process and learning why people make what they do.


The form below is what came of my little exercise today. I still have a lot to do on this form and we'll see how I feel about it after I add all my extras on.

4 comments:

Linda Starr said...

Hi Jen, I love how you have posted your first lidded jar form, then your inspirational forms, and then your lidded jar, which is tre chic. I need to push myself the one or two steps or so further. Thanks for this post.

cookingwithgas said...

I love jars, they hold endless possibilities.
Great post!

Jen Mecca said...

I also love anything that contains something. I think I was such a big snoop when I was a child that this form always pulls me back in. You know I LOVE a good pottery box!
Have a great day guys!
Jen

Anonymous said...

looks like a great start on that lidded jar. that glass jar with the dragonflies is really cool too.